New Jersey governor warns key employees could be laid off without more federal funding

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday warned that key employees -- including health care workers, firefighters, police officers and teachers -- could be laid off if the state does not receive additional funding from the federal government.

[OCS: What about the thousands of unionized non-essential state employees who are still drawing a paycheck? Why are teachers being paid for sitting at home?

This is the face of a corrupt, duplicitous scumbag politician who not only wants the federal government to help him paper-over decades of political corruption and mismanagement, but totally fails as the Governor of New Jersey.

This is typical progressive socialist democrat bullpucky and extortion to threaten the health and welfare of innocent individuals during times of budgetary shortfalls.

Truth be told, it is the sworn duty of all elected officials to prioritize the expenditure of funds to first provide for the public’s safety (law enforcement and fire protection), the public’s health (emergency responders and acute health facilities), and critical infrastructure (water, electricity, sanitation, communications) and these take precedent over all non-essential government workers and discretionary programs.

But, then again, this is the Governor who advances the rights of unions and his own political future over the residents of New Jersey.]

The dire prediction from Murphy reflects what many governors across the country fear as states grapple with budget shortfalls from the economic calamity brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

[OCS: Most of these states had significant budget shortfalls – even after corrupt accounting machinations – and should not be bailed out by more fiscally prudent states.]

The Democrat and other governors have called for additional federal assistance while the White House is reluctant to provide additional funds to states. On Friday, Murphy announced the state is estimated to have a revenue loss of $10 billion.   

[OCS: With the state’s crooked accounting, it is likely that the state has a larger deficit than is being reported when you consider state IOUs that replaced dedicated funds and unfunded pension liabilities that were grossly inflated by fraud.]     

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Sunday said in an earlier interview with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" there should be a data analysis on state budget shortfalls and that some state's requests are "radically more money than the expected shortfall for the year."          

"I thought Kevin (Hassett) was reasonable, but on this one I have to say I'm going to say time out," Murphy told Bash, adding, "We don't need a data crunch."

[OCS: Heaven forbid any attempt at honest accounting.]

"We announced a budget on Friday for the next four months and we had to cut or defer over $5 billion of expenditures. And this includes potentially laying off educators, firefighters, police, EMS, health care workers. This is not abstract. This is real. It's not a blue state issue. It's an American issue," Murphy said.

[OCS: NO! This is a state issue. Control the unions and eliminate non-essential personnel and all will be well.]

He continued that the last thing New Jersey needs to do is "lay any of those folks off and increase the unemployment rate and underserve our residents."

[OCS: NO! The last things you need are profligate spending on political/special interest projects, supporting legions on non-essential employees, and funding political power grabs.]

"So we need it, and it's not just New Jersey, it's not just blue states, it's American states up and down the country," he said. < Source>